


Flowering Destiny

by Khellamendra



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 02:34:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16823407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khellamendra/pseuds/Khellamendra
Summary: A strange illness has taken over a small village. Lance, a kitsune bound to the Shirogane Household, sets out to find a flower said to cure any disease.





	Flowering Destiny

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fic created for a Fantasy Au challenge on the Voltron Amino. My character was Lance, fantasy character was kitsune, and the couple was Pallura. Of course I had to put in some Shance.

The air was thick with the smell of death and sickness. 

The town of Daiza had been a thriving little place overlooking beautiful wheat fields that seemed to go on for miles. When the sun set behind the bountiful fields, they sparkled like real gold. It was small enough that everyone knew everyone but big enough to allow its residence to live comfortably and happily. If there was one thing Lance had loved about the tow, it was the cycle of life that made the town what it was. Children were always running up and down the dirt paths, their laughter filling the air until the sun started to set and they were called in. Once they grew up and realized nothing interesting ever happened in the town they would leave to find their own adventure and place in the world beyond the wheat fields. Parents would watch with pride in their eyes knowing that when those same children grew, they would come back to start families of their own.

The village was one he had visited off and on but on his last visit, had gotten himself run up a tree by a dog. Holding his precious brown tail, he hissed at the damned thing but that did nothing to stop the barking that hurt sensitive ears. A man had come to his rescue, not quite knowing what the dog had cornered but shooing it away all the same. From the way he spoke, he obviously assumed some kind of small scared animal was trapped, which wasn’t completely far off no matter how much Lance tried to pretend otherwise. Grumbling, he started to climb down, not paying attention in his haste and finding a branch that couldn’t support his weight. 

Instead of the hard ground, he had landed in arms. The two of them stared at each other in surprise, trying to make sense of what was happening. Eyes looked at ears and a tail that matched the kitsune’s hair as Lance took in a scarred face and black hair. Hands couldn’t resist squeezing muscles. Needless to say he found the man fascinating and after saving him twice, Lance decided to bind himself to the Shirogane household. It turned out the man lived on the large house on the hill that overlooked the rest of the village. There he lived a very comfortable and spoiled life.

Then a few weeks ago, an odd sickness came to the town. It had started small and unassuming, the select few starting to get better before suddenly getting even worse than before. The disease sunk its claws into the youngest and the eldest of the residents, their most vulnerable. The kitsune watched from his window as one by one he saw fewer and fewer people out with each passing sunrise. The laughter left and his favorite golden fields were just miles of dulled silver that not even the sun could help. From that same window he watched as those that were healthy eventually started to leave and he knew they wouldn’t be back. The cycle was broken and now there was only death here. Blue eyes watched as another cart covered in a white sheet moved slowly down the muddy trail. Not even the rain couldn’t wash the smell away. 

A cough from behind him drew his attention and he frowned. Shiro was one of the few healthy people left in the village. At least he had been until yesterday when the coughing started. Lance couldn’t help the rest of the village but his magic had been keeping the sickness from getting its claws in Shiro. The fact it seemed to be now was concerning to the say the least. No normal disease should have been able to get past his abilities, even if he did only have two tails. Lance had strengthened his spells but even that was taking a toll on Shiro. A tuft of hair had turned prematurely white, a small price to pay in Lance’s opinion. 

The bed sank a bit as he joined Shiro, tails curling around the lanky frame. Despite how strong Shiro looked, he wouldn’t survive if this kept up. Eventually he would waste away. Lance could stall it but not stop it and that bothered him greatly. He glanced at the book in the other man’s lap, picking it up. “What’s this?” The smile that spread over a scarred face never ceased to make the kitsune’s heart beat a little faster. He wanted to protect it even more. 

“It’s a book I found in the library. I originally just needed something to keep my mind occupied but then I found that page.” Shiro pointed to the sketch of a flower surrounded by various writings. “You know how much I loved gardening but honestly I’ve never seen one like that before. The book says its a pink juniberry flower, have you ever heard of it?” 

“I’ve heard the name but, I’ve never seen them myself. Supposedly no mortal has ever seen them.” Lance stated distractedly as eyes scanned the book. “Not that I’m a mortal but there’s still a lot about this world that I haven’t explored yet. Hey wait.” Jumping up, he started pacing as eyes moved faster while Shiro looked on in confusion. “It says that the juniberry flower has the ability to heal any disease.” 

“That sounds really nice but that’s assuming it even exists. Does it actually say that? I didn’t get that far before you stole my book.” Shiro said in amusement, laughing when Lance stuck his tongue out at him. Laughter turned into coughing as the kitsune was back at his side, rubbing his back until it subsided. “Then again I never actually believed your kind existed either until I saved you from that tree, or was it the dog? If this is real, I wonder if it could save this village?” 

Ever since he had bound himself to the household, the pair had spend hours upon hours of talking just talking. Despite the large house, Shiro lived alone with his family dying several years before. He was a simple man that loved tea, flowers, and visiting with the others in the village. Despite everyone leaving, he never had, opting to take care of the house even after his family was gone. Lance had gained his second tail while with Shiro and he had grown very fond of the man who had easily opened his home to the kitsune. Every so often Shiro would casually ask if he ever missed exploring though Lance knew he was just trying to see if his guest was happy. Every time his answer was the same, that he missed it a little but it wasn’t any fun doing it alone. 

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Lance smiled. “It wouldn’t hurt to try. Whatever this is, it’s not normal. A lot of this writing wouldn’t make sense to mortals but I know the landmarks this book is talking about. I haven’t been to half of them but I know the way and this here.” he pointed. “It looks like a random riddle but it’s the answer. I bet I could get this flower and be back before you even have time to miss me.” Shiro didn’t look near as convinced. “Hey when I chose this household, I promised to protect it and you. I have a really good chance of doing that. I’m not some newborn kit, I can do this. I have to because I refuse to let anything happen to you.” Slamming the book shut, he grinned. “It’s my turn to be the hero.” 

Standing at the threshold, the night was abnormally quiet. Even nature was afraid to come to this place. Adjusting his pack, Lance wasn’t about let that stop him. He had to do this before his magic ran out and the house was left vulnerable. Taking a deep breath, he stepped away from the house, bare feet making hardly a sound as his journey officially started. As soon as he left the fields behind and entered the forest, the smell of sickness and death lifted and ears twitched when he heard bird. It was a sound he almost had forgotten but it was there all the same. The rustle of the bushes and the sounds of animals moving about was music to long ears. Feeling more confident, he pushed forward. The book proved to be invaluable and he poured over it whenever he needed to know where to go next. What looked like regular passages or poems were clues that built a map. Several sunrises passed over forests, meadows, and rivers before he came to a bustling town. Hiding his ears and tail, he restocked himself, listening to conversations but none of them mentioned Daiza or the sickness even once. Whatever was happening, hadn’t spread this far. 

Enjoying mackerel that had been grilled on a skewer, Lance was just about ready to head out again. There was a mountain nearby that looked daunting from here but with his guide, there was no way he would get lost. Taking the book out, he nibbled on the fish as he flipped through the pages. Enamored by the delicious taste, he didn’t have enough warning before the book was suddenly snatched out of his hands. “What the- hey!” A mess of short, choppy, auburn turned around long enough for it’s owner to stick their tongue out at him before taking off again. Racing after them, he dodged people left and right, turning a corner and almost running into his target. Said target had stopped before they could run right into a large sleeping dog, the same dog which gave Lance pause as well. Mustering his courage, he moved to grab the culprit only to have them dodge at the last second and find a better route. Precious seconds were lost as he frantically made sure he wasn’t the one to wake the animal. 

The chase took them outside the city and into the fields beyond. It wasn’t until then that he noticed the single tail. The nogitsune glanced back, grinning when it was obvious Lance had noticed just what he was following. Laughing she seemed unconcerned but what was he expecting from a field fox. They only seemed to care about spreading mischief or worse depending on their mood. “If you want your stupid book back, you’ll have to do better than that.” she taunted. Gritting his teeth, he raced through trees and water, following up the rocky path without hesitation. He needed that book, it was his only chance to save Shiro. The more they ran the foggier it seemed to be getting. Even his magic was having trouble piercing through it. Eventually he had to stop, uncertain of where he was but hearing the sound of rocks falling. He wouldn’t die from a fall but it could put him out of commission and Shiro only had so much time. 

The mocking laughter seemed to be all around him. He couldn’t fail Shiro, he refused to, not after all of this. Taking a deep breath, he summoned the blue fire to his hand and held it out. His fire would help illuminate the path forward, moving until it showed him a path. The pace was slower than he wanted but he pressed on until feet no longer met the harsh rocks but something much softer. The fog began to thin until a bright light shone, forcing him to close his eyes. Carefully he opened them, letting them adjust to the brightness, breath taken away by the sight before him. An open field went as far as the eye could see, sitting under the bluest sky. It was absolutely covered in the prettiest pink flowers he had ever seen and their smell was everywhere. Looking around wide eyed, he had never felt more like laying down and just rolling around in the flowers. The familiar laughter brought him out of his own thoughts though it sounded less mocking and oddly enough more genuine. Following it, he stopped in his tracks. “There you are! Give me my book back or else!” he demanded as the young fox jumped up, caught off guard by his sudden appearance.

“Ugh I can’t believe you actually managed to find your way through all that. Figured you would have given up long ago. Sure took your sweet time for someone with two tails.” That smugness was more than he wanted to deal with after all this. He summoned his fire again, ready to wipe that look off her face.

“That’s enough. I will not have fighting here, especially not any that could hurt the flowers.” The small fox crossed her arms and huffed, looking away. “Pidge, my darling one, please sit down and stop making such faces. It’ll get stuck that way.” 

“I told you before, that’s not a thing that can happen.” Pidge muttered, doing as she was asked. Lance realized he had been so focused on his task that he had completely missed that they weren’t alone. Sitting amongst the pink flowers sat the most beautiful woman he had never laid eyes on clad in a delicate pink and white dress that showed off shapely legs. A thin white robe matched sharp ears that bleed into long wavy hair that flowed freely down her back. As proud as he was of his eyes, her own lighter and seemed to be mixed with the same pink as the flowers she was surrounded by. A thick white tail curled around the smaller fox. Pidge seemed to know that he was mentally counting, waiting until she saw the realization in his eyes before she spoke. “What’s wrong, never met a Kyubi before?” 

“Oh Pidge please try to be nice to our guest.” He gestured for him to sit. “I apologize, we don’t really ever get visitors. Where are my manners. My name is Allura and you’ve already met Pidge.What is your name?” 

“Lance. It’s nice to meet you, Princess.” He said with a wink. Pidge rolled her eyes and made a disgusted noise. Shooting her an annoyed look, it melted away when she started talking again.

“It’s nice to meet you as well. I watch over these fields. Do you know what these are?” She asked, smiling sweetly as he blushed. Managing to tear his eyes away from her he looked at the flowers he now sat among. Ears twitched as he looked at the pink flower she held in her hand. 

“These are Juniberry flowers, aren’t they? This is exactly what I came for! There’s a village kind of far from here. Some kind of plague has taken over and the residence are dying.” The look the pair exchanged made him feel uneasy. “Please, I heard that these flowers can cure any illness, even a magical one. My magic has been keeping it away from the household I’m bound to but just barely. 

“Lance I can’t. There’s a reason that mortals can never find this place. The flowers can cure anything that’s true but-” The sympathetic look on Allura’s face made his stomach drop. 

“But what?”

”It also grants immortality to whoever consumes it.” Pidge cut in, holding the book up to show him the page. “Something like that can’t be granted to just anyone. Humans can be irresponsible within their own life span. It rarely goes well when they’re given a gift like this.”

“You understand why I can’t help you, don’t you? I’m so sorry, Lance.” Allura placed a hand on his shoulder. He knew she was trying to be comforting but all he could think about was how he would never been able to see Shiro smile again while they sat in the garden. Listen to his warm voice as he talked about what the people in the village were up to that day and how he was going to be fixing a wall for the millionth time or help the elderly neighbor carry wood when the winter seasons came. To never hear that laugh. 

“Just one.” He took her hand in both of his, meeting her eyes. “If you can’t give me enough to help the village then at least give me one. I’ll do whatever you want, take responsibility for whatever happens. At least let me save one person, I don’t want to imagine not having him in my life.” Taking her hand back, Lance’s shoulders slumped, ready to be told no again.

“Alright.” She put her hand up to stop him from talking. “I know how it feels to not want to be without someone you care about.” Putting an arm around Pidge, auburn ears twitched as the small fox smiled. Allura held out the flower she had been holding. “But you only get the one and whatever happens with this man, its is on you.” With the utmost care he took the flower from her, holding it close. 

“Thank you. Thank you so much. You don’t know how much this means to me.” The soft laughter from the Kyubi rang through like music. 

“Perhaps you and this man who travelled so far for, will come visit us?” She asked coyly. Grinning he nodded quickly. 

“Absolutely!” 

The journey back felt as if it flew by quicker or maybe he was simply that focused on on returning that he refused to stop.Though he had left the book behind he was coming home with something much more important. Moving through the ashen fields, it wasn’t until the familiar smell invaded his nose again that he realized what he was walking past were what was left of the golden fields. The smell was even thicker then he remembered but the hardest part was seeing the town in such disrepair. Everything was falling apart and crumbling much like the people that still lived here. Only the sounds of the plague could be heard and he knew this town was about to crumble into obscurity, another casualty of fate. A nose twitched at the smell but he didn’t dare linger, he had to make sure Shiro was okay. Quickly he traveled up the familiar dirt path, pushing past the small gate that finally lost the willingness to stand. The sound of it hitting the dirt had startled him, ears swiveling this way and that for any familiar noises. The house was in much better shape but the beautiful gardens had shriveled up. Lance raced into the house, knowing that meant the magic he had left behind had been used up. 

“Shiro?” He called out to the man, ears standing at attention as they listened for any noise. A faint cough was all he needed before he was running in that direction. Bursting into the bedroom, he stopped in his tracks. The room was in disarray but Lance didn’t care. All he could focus on was the shaking man laying on the bed. “Shiro?” He called out softly, stopping when unfocused brown eyes fell on him. The smile that spread across that familiar scarred face made his chest hurt.

“You came back. Or maybe, this is just a sign that my time is up.” Shiro said softly as Lance moved closer, still holding his prize. 

“No, no it’s not the end. Not for a long time. Look I found it!” He held the flower out for Shiro to see. “I’m going to make a tea right now for you and then you’ll see. Okay?” Carefully he took a chilled hand in his own, tears welling up though the smile never left. “Just wait a little while longer and then everything will be okay.” A hand held firmly onto his, stopping him from moving away. 

“I thought that you might not get back in time. I’m sorry, some part of me thought that you didn’t want to come back.” Shiro said between labored breaths. Lance gently squeezed the hand that was already starting to lose strength. 

“It’s okay, you won’t ever have to worry about that every again. I promise.” Shiro nodded, eyes getting heavily. 

“Thank you.” 

Staring out the window, the kitsune knew when the last of the life had left the town. With nothing else to claim the plague would move on and allow nature to reclaim this place. He wondered how long it would take before the fields would be golden once again or if he was ever going to even return to this place. It held so many sad memories but if he didn’t hold onto them, then Daiza really would disappear forever. “So what do you think?” Turning around, he leaned against the window and gave the tall muscular man a once over, whistling. 

“Very nice. Where have you been keeping that?” Lance asked, tail swaying back and forth as he took in the new outfit. 

“Oh you’re just saying that. Admit it, I look stupid.” Shiro said, crossing his arms. Lance scoffed and left the window to run nails through short hair. 

“White hair suits you. It makes you look very handsome, a silver fox if I ever saw one.” He said with a grin as Shiro groaned. 

“Very clever. So now that we’re both packed. Where shall we explore first?” Lance hummed thoughtfully at the question. 

“There’s no rush. We have all the time in the world.”


End file.
